Film-holder for cinematograph and like machines.



H. FISHER.

NEMATOGEAPH AND LIKE MACHINES. APPLICATION FILED JUNE 6, 1914.

FILM HOLDER FOR GI Patented Jan. 26, 1915.

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lIIlllll Q wild III H. FISHER. FILM HOLDER FOR GINEMATOGRAPH AND LIKE MAGHINES APPLICATION FILED JUNE 6, 1914. I 1,1 26,436, Patented Jan. 26, 1915.

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illllIlIlllllllllllllIllllllllllllllllllllllll UNITED, STATES HORACE FISHER, LETCHWORTH, ENGLAND, ASSIGNOB. T0 WILLIAM EDWARD GARFORTH, 0F PONTEFRACT, YORKSHIRE, ENGLAND.

FILM-HOLDER FOR CINEMATOGRAPH AND LIKE MACHINES.

icense.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Jan. 26, M9115.

Application filed June 6, 1914. Serial No. 843,378.

' the cinematograph camera in daylight, without taking the usual precautions to protect the film from actiniclight, and the leading end of the film may then be attached. to a similar film holder placed in the cinematograph camera, and the reel to which'it is attached within the holder may then be operated after the camera has been closed, and the film thus be drawn from the holder first inserted to the new reel while exposures are taking place. The film holder above referred to is also interchangeable in two posi tions ,in the cinematograph camera, so that when a film has been drawn entirely off a holder and passed on to the reel of the receiving holder, then the holder which previously contained the unexposed film can be. removed and used as a receiving holder, a

new-holder. containing a new unexposed film being then substituted in its place.

A film holder according to this invention consists of 2. preferably cylindrical box, having a removable lid, the base of the box being fitted or formed centrally witha'n inwardly extending sleeve, and the lid being similarly fitted or formed so that the box can 40 he slid on to a supporting spindle, and means are provided by which the box itselfiwhen V on such spindle, is held stationary. I

The box is adapted to contain atubular reel, which passes at its ends over the sleeves on the interior of the box, and is thus supported so that it can revolve or be revolved.

' The box is light-tight, and is formedwith a slit in its circular wall parallel to the axis of the box, which slit is fitted with protecting clips or guards of curved form, the

l curved surface of one guard being adjacent to the curved surface of the other guard, and these adjacent surfaces are covere'dwith drawnfrom another holder.

velvet or some equivalent material, so as to permit of the passage of the film, while at the same time keeping the box light-tight.

The invention will be more particularly described with reference to the accompanying drawings, whereon,

Figures 1 to '7 inclusive show examples of constructions of the film holders, and Fig. 8-

Fig. 5 showsa holder in section, with a reel in position within it, for receiving the film Fig. 6 shows the reel in section, and Fig. 7 is a side elevation of the reel.

The holders according to this invention I I are shown applied to a cinematographic camera at-Fig. 8 which is a. left hand side elevation of the camera with the side plate of the case removed. 1

The film'holder-comprises a cylindrical box which is'held stationary in the apparatus to which it is applied suchas a cine- 'matographic camera', and contains and carries a revoluble reel. .7 V

' The construction will be clearly seen by-' reference to Figs; 1 to 4 of the accompanying drawings, and particularly to Fig. 4.

- The body'of the box l-is fitted at the center of its base withashortfinternally extending ---sleeve '2, or it maybe formed with an-inturned -fiange;-the lid '3 fits'with its flanged edge externally around the cylindrical end of the'box, and-this lid is also fitted with a short inwardly' extending sleeve 4,. coaxial 'wi'th-thesleeve In the circular wa'll of the box 1. a' slot is formedlparallelL-tothe axis of the'box,

through which slot protecting clips or =gu'ards,5, ea e passed; each'of theseguards -consists of afoundationof metal bent into a curvedforn asshown at Fig. 3,:faced with welvet and 1 arranged. so. .7 that their curved velvet covered faces are'in surface-contact,

wherebyallightf protected. 7 aperture is formed, through which the film can be drawn past the velvet surfaces without light entering the cylindrical box 1; beyond this the box 1 is fitted with a fixed pin or projection 8 to enable it to be keyed in position within the camera or other apparatus by contacting with or fitting into a stationary part.

The box 1 as shown in Fig. 4 contains a reel 7 upon which the film is carried, and the reel is supported upon the tubular sleeves 2 and 4 of the box, which sleeves thus form bearings for the reel, while a supporting spindle, suchv as 9, extending from the framework 9 of the apparatus, passes through the tubular sleeves. 2 and 4 to carry the film holder and when in this position the pin or projection 8 on the box enters a-recess in the stationary framework 9 of the apparatus. Such a reel 7, as illustrated at Fig. 4:, is adapted to carry an unexposed film, and the film may be sold to the user in such a light-tight holder as has been described and which can be inserted like a cartridge into a cinematographic camera during daylight. The leading end of the film can then be drawn out and attached to a reel in a similar empty holder, which latter reel is driven by the mechanism of the apparatus, so that the film drawn from the first mentioned holder becomes Wound upon the reel of the second similar holder.

A suitable form of reel for receiving and winding the film proceeding from the first holder is shown at Figs. 5, 6, and 7. This reel 10 consists of a sleeve similar to the reel 7 of Fig. 4, adapted to be carried upon the sleeves 2 and 4 of the box 1,- which is ex- I actly similar to the box described with reference to Figs. 1 to 4. The reel 10, however, is formed or provided preferablywith a flange such as 11, placed adjacent to the base of the box 1, and it is also fitted with a metal clip such as 12, between which clip and the body of the reel, the end of the film is inserted and so secured, after being passed between the velvet covered guards 5, 6 of the aperture of the box, such as has which is divided so as to permit of the passage of the pin 13, through the medium of which the reel 10 is revolved with the spindle la while the box 1 is held stationary by the projection 8, engaging in the stationary framework.

The film holders according to this invention are shown applied to a 'cinematographic vented from leavingthe spindle 9 by a pivoted arm B which bears against the lid of the box 1 and can be turned when it is desired to remove the box from the spindle 9.

The film C, passes from the stationary film holder F over the rear face of a stationary guide plate D formed with an aperture, opposite the lens E, below which plate D is located feed mechanism the details of which it is not necessary to deal with in this specification,but which mechanism is adapted to draw the film C- intermittently from the film holder which is shown at F. The film then passes through a tension device G, and from thence to the film holder indicated'at F In employing film holders such as described, that box containing the unexposed film is simply placed in position upon the spindle 9, and the leading end of the film can then be drawn out over the rear of the plate D, through the intermittent feed device and through the tension device G, and

then attached to the reel, such as 10 in the film holder F and the lid of the latter can then be replaced and the box held in position bv an arm B similar to the arm B before referred to. lVhen this connection has been made the slack of the film is taken up by a few turns of the operating handle of the feed mechanism, and then the camera side is closed. The leading end of the film, which has been drawn through the slit from the holder F, is, of course, when applied to a cinematographic camera, exposed and spoilt, but it is usual in such cameras to have a waste end, and therefore the exposure of this piece of the film has no disadvantage. After the exposures have been made, the entire film will be found to be contained within the holder F, the reel of which has been connected to the driving mechanism, and the camera can then be opened and the exposed reel removed. The film holder F can then be placed on the live spindle 14 and have a reel placed within it, suitable for the attachment of the end of a new film, and

another film holder such as F can then be placed on the'stationary spindle 9.

As will readily be understood, the spindle 9 may carry the reel 7 in the film holder F, Fig. 8, and may be constructed so as to be free to revolve under the tension of the film, while the spindle 14: is mechanically revolved, as explained, and in such a case the reels may be made with a bore, polygonal in cross section, and be adapted to fit upon and engage the spindles 9 and 14, and the reels can in such case be made interchangeable and may have flanges, either detachable or permanent, on both ends of the reels.

The holders can be cheaply constructed, and need not necessarily be returnable, but where the film is developed by the film makers and not by the user, the holder must necessarily come back to the maker, and it can thus be used over and over again.

What I claim as my invention and desire to secure by Letters Patent is 1. A film holder for a strip of photographic film in roll form; comprising in combination a box, a removable cover to said box, an inwardly projecting sleeve passing through said cover, a similar sleeve passing through the bottom of said box and in axial alinement with said cover-sleeve through which sleeves passes a spindle by which the box is supported, a reel rotatably and removably mounted upon said sleeves within said box around which reel one end of the film passes, the other end of said film passing through a light-tight slot formed in the wall of said box and means to prevent the rotation of said box. a

2. A film holder for a strip of photographic film in roll form; comprising in combination a stationary box, a removable cover to said box, means in said box to rotatably and removably support a reel around which latter one end of the film passes the other end of said film passing through a slot in the wall of the box and a velvet covered.

spring clip on opposite edges of said slot between which clips said film passes.

3. A holder for films in cinematographic apparatus; comprising in combination a box, a removable cover to said box, an in wardly projecting sleeve passing through said cover, a similar sleeve passing through the bottom of said box and in alinement with said cover-sleeve, a reel rotatably and removably carried by said sleeves within said box, means to removably and non-rotatably connect said reel to a spindle rotatably carried'in the case of the apparatus, means, to detachably connect one end of the film to said reel the other end of said film passing through a slot in the said box, a velvet covered spring clip on two opposite edges of said slot between which clips said film passes, and means to prevent the rotation of said box with said spindle.

4. A holder for films in cinematographic apparatus; comprising in combination a box, a removable cover to said box, an inwardly projecting sleeve passing through said cover, a similar sleeve passing through the bottom of said box and in alinement with said cover-sleeve, a reel rotatably and removably carried by said sleeves within said box, a pin extending through and at right angles to the axis of said reel adapted to engage the forked end of a spindle rotatably carried in the case of the apparatus to effect rotation of said reel with said spindle, means to detachably connect one end of the film to said reel the other end of said film passing through a slot in the said box, a velvet covered clip on two opposite edges of said slot between which clips said film passes, and means to prevent the rotation of said box with said spindle.

5. A holder for films in cinematographic apparatus; comprising in combination a box, a removable cover to said box, an inwardly projecting sleeve passing through said cover, a similar sleeve passing through the bottom of said box and in alinement with said cover-sleeve, a reel rotatably and removably carried by said sleeves within said box, a pin extendin through and at right angles to the axis oi said reel. adapted to engage the forked end of a spindle rotatably carried in the case of the apparatus to effect rotation of said reel with said spindle, a spring plate removably carried by and partly surrounding said reel to engage one end of the film and clamp it to said reel the other end of said film passing, through a slot in the said box, a velvet covered clip on two opposite edges of said slot between which clips said film passes, and means to prevent the rotation of said box with sald spindle.

In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand in the presence of two witnesses.

HORACE FISHER.

Witnesses;

GRIFFITH BREWER, WILLIAM A. MARSIFIALL. 

